F100X – 1953 Ford Panel Truck on Ford Explorer Chassis

7 years ago I had a thought… why not take a GMC Syclone or Typhoon and use the chassis to create a cool AWD classic truck. I even found a wrecked Typhoon at an insurance auction but thought twice about re-purposing such a rare vehicle. So I stumbled upon a 1953 Ford panel truck, originally owner by the Hershey Hotel and used as a laundry truck. The price was right and the rust aplenty! I then started thinking about the Ford Explorer… from 1995 – 2000 you could get the Explorer in V8 trim with AWD and 4-wheel disc brakes, not a bad platform. Oh, and the wheelbase and track width is almost identical to the 53-56 F100! Actually the wheelbase is slightly longer (3/4″) and centers the front wheels better in the fenders so win-win.

So that’s how this wacky project got it’s start. Will be documenting the build process here and with any luck it will turn out to be a nice cruiser.